Meet Dan! Our First Male “Hero” Winner!

We asked all of you to nominate your personal Hero back in February for a chance for them to win a free outfit from THE NINES. With all the amazing emails we received from you, we had a very difficult time picking just one winner this year. After reading the email that Dan’s wife Witney sent in, we decided we would pick two Hero winner’s.

Here’s the email that Dan’s wife sent to us:

I will be honest, initially when I saw your Facebook post I was trying to think of a female hero. But, then I got your email today and it just clicked. My husband is my hero.

My husband Dan stays home with his dad, and our two kids, and cares for them, but that is only part of why he is a hero.

As a senior in High School, Dan’s dad suffered from a Brain Aneurysm that left him disabled. Over the course of the next 10 years, Dan’s mom, Judy, took care of his Dad, selflessly. Dan would drive home on the weekends to help his mom with work around the yard and any other things she needed help with. Then in April of 2012, Judy was diagnosed with Small Cell Lung Cancer. Dan took time off of work and basically moved back to Elbow Lake to take care of his dad and mom. Dan spent every last moment he could with his mom before she passed in December of that year. Dan’s dad, Dave, moved to the cities with us, but we knew that wasn’t going to be the easiest transition for him, our house was not handicap accessible, and it made it hard for Dave to get around.

As a family, we decided to put our energy into moving our family back to Elbow Lake to Dave’s home. In February 2014 we were able to move back to Elbow Lake. Dan stays home with our two kids, Lila (3) & Grayson (8M), and Dave. But, he does so much more then just care for them, he has provided an unique environment for our kids and his dad. His dad is much more comfortable and happy at home and our kids love having Papa Dave be such a big part of their lives.

Although I know Dan ultimately wants to get back to work, he is exceeding my expectations in this role. He is my hero.

Thank you,
Witney

We treated Dan to a new pair of Big Star jeans and a Buffalo Plaid button up that he looked great in! My staff and I had so much fun with Dan, Witney and their two adorable kids! Thanks again to everyone who sent in emails! We do many pay it forward giveaways throughout the year so make sure to watch for our posts so you can nominate or re-nominate someone you think is fabulous!